smart computer use?

Computers suck up energy. There is really no doubt about that. When you think of all the computers you encounter on a day to day basis, it’s not hard to imagine how much energy the use of computers, in general, requires.

With such rampant use of computers around the world, there is room to make huge impacts on power consumption efficiency. It doesn’t take much to reduce the average power consumption of a computer. Here’s a few tips that you can take into consideration to maybe help reduce your own computer-related power consumption.

Use an LCD Monitor

CRT monitors are a thing of the past. They consume much more energy, both is use and in standby, than a modern LCD monitor. The difference can actually be quite amazing. According to ViewSonic an LCD monitor will consume about one third of the power that a comparable size CRT monitor would require to operate.

Turn Your Computer Off

Many computer users might leave their computer on all the time. If a computer is being used continuously throughout the day it might not be very convenient to turn it off, but if you don’t use a computer during certain periods of the day it can help save energy to just flat-out shut it down and turn it off.

In some cases an automatic shut down might be a good option, especially for computers that sit overnight unused on a fairly regular schedule, if they don’t need to run continuously.

Buy “Green” Computer Parts

Whenever you replace something in your computer, go green.

A green hard drive can be a great option to reduce power consumption, for example, by requiring less energy to operate and by generating less heat. Generating less heat in a computer reduces cooling needs which in turn requires less power to operate. It’s a fun cycle.

Don’t Leave Chargers Plugged In

If you use a charger for your laptop or a charger for your phone, don’t leave them plugged in if you aren’t using them. Most chargers will constantly draw power from an outlet even if your laptop, for example, isn’t plugged into it.

Just touch the converter box on any charger that is plugged in… it’s always warm or sometimes even hot, even when you aren’t charging a device.

Simply unplug your chargers when charging is complete, easy enough.

Turn Off Computer Peripherals

If you have a printer or speaker that are not used often, only power them up when you are going to use them. There really is no need to leave them plugged in and running when they are not being used. In some cases a printer might only be used once a week, why let it run and consume power all the time?

It can also be helpful to hook up computer peripherals that are not used often to their own dedicated power strip. The power strip can be placed in a position that allows easy access, allowing you to turn on or off your infrequently used peripherals with ease. This allows you to easily conserve energy beyond the normal use of your computer itself.

Many Other Options

I’m sure that there are many other options out there for keeping power consumption to a minimum when it comes to computers, but these tips will get your mind going in the right direction.

Just get creative. Think about ways to keep devices from running when they are not being used, and think of green products when you purchase computer hardware. Good times.